Social and Emotional Learning in the Elementary Classroom
Why did you go into education? I bet it was because you love teaching and inspiring young minds. However, these days teachers are faced with an increased focus on academic benchmarks, state testing and currently the change of how instruction is delivered now with the use of technology with eLearning. This shift in the focus is causing an increase in teacher stress due to the workload and the teacher shortage this year is at the highest we have seen in decades. How does the educator teach the important academic skills that will be measured on formative assessments but also the meaningful life skills that will prepare each student for their future?
Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL for short, is an essential part of a student’s overall education. Targeting the development of skills like managing emotions, communication, responsible decision making and character development is essential for success in life.
It’s important to remember that students develop both socially and emotionally at the same time as they are academically. That is why it’s crucial to integrate SEL skills into the daily instruction you are offering to your students. Social and Emotional Learning consists of five focus skills.
- Self-Awareness: the ability to recognize one’s emotions, values and the ability to set personal goals and work toward achieving them.
- Self-Management: learning to detect one’s emotions, behaviors and the ability to control one’s actions.
- Relationship Skills: being able to look beyond yourself by establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with others.
- Social Awareness: Consider other perspectives and have compassion for other’s backgrounds, cultures and differences.
- Responsible Decision-Making: Learning how to make positive choices involving one’s own behavior.
These 5 areas are crucial for success in every aspect of life from school, home and in the future with employment as an adult. Integrating SEL not only improves academic outcomes but also gives a firm foundation to becoming a better version of one’s self. Taking the time as a teacher to incorporate SEL into the school day will create a classroom community where students will be more respectful learners. The teacher will develop a greater understanding as well and build patience for more difficult aspects and behaviors of students.
A classroom where good decisions are consistently being made, and students learn the value of self-control along with the true impact of their actions and words can have on others, will be a positive learning community for all, even during a pandemic.
How will you ensure your students are learning and growing socially, emotionally and academically during a time of eLearning? Below you will find a few easy ways to maintain SEL in the elementary classroom this school year when the children need this focus more than ever.
- Build meaningful relationships with your students – Relationships can be fostered even screen to screen. As a teacher make a conscience effort to ask questions and get to know your students from the beginning. Research shows that positive teacher-student relationships improve academic success – especially during stressful times. Organize student check-ins where you can talk to your students and see how they are feeling. Use this time to celebrate their successes and discuss their individual worries and struggles.
- Create opportunities for teamwork – Collaboration is one area that teachers struggle with during eLearning but it’s also what students need most. They are seeking the opportunity to interact and learn from one another. Be creative in coming up with ways to engage and provide interactive learning opportunities for your students.
- Model leadership – Teach your students to be leaders. Provide opportunities for them to do service in their communities, schools and homes. Simple acts of service like reading to a sibling, helping make dinner for a neighbor or writing a letter to a family member are examples of ways students can be leaders and show empathy and kindness to those around them.
- Allow time for class discussions – Students need to discuss and communicate their feelings. Talk about current events and give students the opportunities express emotion and gain self confidence in doing so.
Our students are experiencing higher levels of stress now more than ever and as a teacher if you provide meaningful Social and Emotional Learning opportunities for your students then it will not only give them the tools to manage a very difficult and different school year, but also prepare them for life in the future. Make time for what matters most this school year. Remember as Aristotle stated, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is nt education at all.”
Are you looking for resources to teach these important SEL skills in your elementary classroom? Learn more about my Mindful Minutes units where you can focus on important character skills each month with easy to implement activities that won’t take up a lot of classroom time but will make the difference for your students.
